Refrigerator.



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REFRIGEBATOR.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 1901.)

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ilivrTnp STnTns PATENT @Trina .VILLAM THOMAS, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA.

REFRlGERATOR.

SPECIFXCATON forming part of Letters Patent N o. 677,380, dated duly 2,1901. Application led January 10,1901. Serial No. LiZf/Stl. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented neuT and useful Improvements inRefrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to refrigerators, and contemplates the provision ofa refrigerator embracinga simple and inexpensive construction calculatedto insure the constant circulation of dry cold air from an ice-chamberthrough a cooling or refrigerating chamber and thence back to theice-chamber.

Other advantageous features of the invention will be fully understoodfrom the following description and claim when taken in conjunction withthe annexed drawings, in

Which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal central section of arefrigerator embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are transversesections taken in the planes indicated by the broken lines 2 2 and 3 3,respectively, of Fig. 1.

In the said drawings similar letters designate corresponding parts inall of the several views.

The casin g A of the refrigerator, Which may be of any suitable shape,preferably comprises the usual inner and outer walls a and an interposedlling b, of suitablenon-conducting material, It incloses an icecham berB and a refrigerating or cooling chamber O and is provided With doors DE, the former opening into the refrigerating-chamber, so as to permit ofthe ready introduction and removal of food products, and the lattercommunicating with the ice-chamber, so as to admit of the supply of icebeing replenished Whenever necessary. v

The ice-chamber B is located at the upper portion of the end of thecasing remote from the door D and is formed by the side and top Walls ofthe casing, in conjunction with a transverse vertically-disposed andimperforate Wall c, which divides the ice-chamber from therefrigerating-chamber, an imperforate bottom wall CZ, and a transversevertically oblique Wall e, the latter being arranged adjacent to the endWall of the casing and being of openwork construction, so as to enableit to retain the ice in the chamber and permit of the passage of coldair, as presently described.

`As best shown in Fig., 1, the bottom Wall CZ of the ice-chamber B isextended beyond the Wall e, as indicated by f, and is provided with adepending lip g, which overhangs the adjacent side Wall h of atransversely-dis posed trough F. The said trough is preferably of metaland is passed through an opening in one of the side Walls of the casingafter the manner shown in Fig. 3. By virtue of this construction theWater formed by lnelting ice is quickly deposited in the trough F andcarried by the same out of the refrigerator, which is advantageous,since it insures the dryness of the air subjected to the cooling actionof the ice and prevents the same being laden with moist-ure prior to itspassage into the refrigerating-chamber C.

Gis a passage or opening formed in the top Wall of the casing A, aboveand in communication with the icechamber B. This passage is provided forthe entry of atmospheric air and is normally open, so as'to en= able theice to draw such air into the refrigerator.

`H is a fine which is arranged adjacent to the top Wall of the casingand is preferably of a Width corresponding to that of the interior ofthe casing, as best shown in Fig. 3. The said flue H communicates atoneend with the upper portion of the icechamber B and extends therefrom toa point adjacent to the end Wall of the casing remote from theicechamber. Itis designed to receive the air after it has passed throughthe refrigeratingchamber among the food products therein and become moreor less heated and conduct it back to the cooling-chamber.

In the practical operation of my improved refrigerator the ice in thechamber B draws atmospheric air into the said chamber through theconduit or passage Gr. This airis cooled by the ice in chamber B anddescends through the open-work Wall e and passes between the Y extensionf of Wall CZ and the trough F into the refrigerating-chamber C. Here itcirc'u lates among and refrigerates the food products placed in saidchamber C, and when it has become more or less heated by its contactwith said products it passes up into the ue H and.

as soon as it is formed by melted ice is an important feature of myinvention, since it prevents the air being laden with moisture and`insures the passage of dry cold air only through therefrigerating-chamber.

I prefer to employ the passage or conduit I in my improved refrigerator,since 'the entryof fresh air into the ice-chamber and its subi sequentpassage into the refrigerating-chamber renders the latter at all timespure and wholesome. I do not desire, however, to be understood asconning myself to the use .of passage G, as when it is omitted aconstant circulation of dry cold air through the refrigerating-chamberwill be maintained.

Notwithstanding its advantages, as above pointed out, it will beobserved that my improved refrigerator is sixn ple and inexpensive inconstruction. It will also be observed that the refrigerating-chamber isof large capacity, while the chamber necessary to hold a sufficientamount of ice is comparatively small.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In the refrigeratordescribed, the casing containingarefrigerating-chamber and anicechamber,thelatter being located in the upper l portion of the casing at one endthereof and formed by the imperforate upright Wall arranged adjacent tothe refrigerating-chamber, the open-work upright Wall e arranged remotefrom the refrigerating-chamber, and the imperforate bottom wallextending between the walls c and e and having the depending lip g atits edge remote from the refrigerating-chamber, the transverse trougharranged below the bottom wall of the icechamber and so that one of itswalls is overhung by the lip g of said bottom wall, and a passage forair is formed between it and said lip; the said trough extendingthroughout the Width of the casing and outside the same so as to carryoft water as soon as the same is received from the ice-chamber, and theiue arranged adjacent to the top of the casing and communicating at oneend with the upper portion of the ice-chamber and extending therefrom toa point adjacent to the opposite end of the casing whereby it is adaptedto receive air from the upper corner of the refrigeratinga chamber andthereby insure the circulation of air throughout the length of saidrefrigerating-ehamber, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.y

WILLIAM THOMAS. XVit-nesses:

ANDREAS MLLER, ANTON ZAHNER.

